The need for more accurate, accessible and cost effective assessments of balance and vestibular function are well documented by researchers and medical professionals. Current field evaluation tools for balance assessment utilize expensive force platforms, which are not practical for use in settings other than clinical research. Force platforms have also been questioned for their accuracy in the true evaluation of balance. The development of inexpensive electronic devices that can measure center of mass (COM) movements to estimate balance have been described in several clinical research projects, however the application of these tools within a server connected hand-held mobile device, for the purpose of evaluating medical conditions has been absent. The typical use of accelerometers to measure postural sway has been limited to lower body, waist or lumbar movement analysis and have not been used to analyze thoracic trunk sway. Thoracic sway presents a completely different measure of compensatory sway, because it analyzes above center of mass movement and therefore proprioceptive balance control of the lower extremity and the trunk without the false compensation of arm or head movement.
Balance testing has been identified as an important part of testing in fall risk prevention in the elderly, in prescription drug interaction, chronic neurological disease management, traumatic brain injury, stroke and performance testing in work readiness screening.
A multi-faceted approach, that incorporates various types of movement and postural stability measures, has long been needed to provide a true analysis of function and stability. Thus, the need exists for a portable, cost effective balance evaluation tool that measures the essential components of postural stability with specific equations developed to quantify changes in multiple testing conditions, acutely, and over time.
Heretofore, as is well known in the medical and balance assessment industry, there has been a need for an invention to address and solve the disadvantages of prior art methods. Accordingly it should now be recognized, as was recognized by the present inventors, that there exists, and has existed for some time, a very real need for a system and method that would address and solve the above-described problems.
Before proceeding to a description of the present invention, however, it should be noted and remembered that the description of the invention which follows, together with the accompanying drawings, should not be construed as limiting the invention to the examples (or preferred embodiments) shown and described. This is so because those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains will be able to devise other forms of the invention within the ambit of the appended claims.